New sponsor deal could see Irish Open tee-off in late June

THE European Tour is about to begin talks with a new sponsor that could see the Irish Open move from its August Bank Holiday slot to the end of June.

Sources close to the negotiations said: “The Tour is going to sit down with a potential sponsor in a fortnight and put all the scenarios on the table.

“The feedback from Killarney was very favourable and returning thereappears high on the agenda again.

“Of course, it will all depend on what the new sponsor wants to do but a new date is part of the talks and a late June date has been mentioned.”

The potential new sponsors, believed to be Zurich International, hadrepresentatives at the Irish Open this year. The event attracted Ireland’s four major winners in Graeme McDowell, Pádraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy.

The tournament’s position in the calendar — it comes just before the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the US PGA Championship — and the halving of the prize fund from €3m to €1.5m were certainly factors in the lack of strength in depth.

A move to the end of June would see the Irish Open potentially move to either a week or two weeks after the US Open, which in 2012 will be played at The Olympic Club in San Francisco from June 14-17.

Right now the two weeks directly following the US Open were occupied by the BMW International Open in Munich and the Alstom Open de France in Europe and Travelers Championship and the AT&T National in the US.

McIlroy indicated on the eve of the KLM Open in Holland yesterday that a change is on the cards for the Irish Open. Asked about his 2012 schedule and his move to the US PGA Tour, he said: “I’ll play a very similar schedule... I mean, I’m still going to play around the world 25, 26 times, and I’m still going to play at least 15 or 16 times in Europe — well, on The European Tour.”

Asked about the Irish Open, he said: “Depends. Well, yes, of course but I’m not sure when the date is yet, so that’s why.”

McIlroy’s immediate priority is to win as many times as he can in what remains of the season so he can move closer to his goal of becoming world number one.

Currently ranked fourth, he tees it up in a KLM Open field that features world No 2 Lee Westwood and defending champion, Martin Kaymer, the world No 3.

Ruling out an immediate assault on Luke Donald’s number one ranking, McIlroy said: “I’m not desperate, but it’s definitely a goal that I’ve set for myself. I feel as if it’s very attainable.

“It might not be this year, but definitely into next year. I can give myself a very good platform to kick off the season next year if I end the season well. So all I want to do is try and get closer to Lee, at No. 2 and then to look at No. 1.”